The Weekend
by law and disorder
Summary: Cassie/Sam. When Grace and Nick get a chance to go away on a field trip for the weekend, Cassie and Sam look forward to some time alone. But will the weekend go as planned? Probably not. Some references to sex, but no actual sexual content.
1. Part 1

The Weekend

Summary: Cassie/Sam. When Grace and Nick get a chance to go away on a field trip for the weekend, Cassie and Sam look forward to some time alone. But will the weekend go as planned? Probably not. Some references to sex, but no actual sexual content.

Part 1:

Cassie Nightingale was peeling vegetables for dinner in the kitchen at Grey House when Grace arrived home from school on a snowy Tuesday afternoon.

"Hi Grace," Cassie greeted her daughter without looking up or turning around from the kitchen counter or the bunch of carrots in front of her.

"Hey mom," Grace shrugged out of her coat and pulled the purple beanie hat off her head. "Dinner smells wonderful."

"It'll be about another hour," Cassie replied, nudging the cookie jar toward her daughter. "Did you have a good day?"

Grace nodded, taking a large bite of almond cookie and taking a piece of paper out of her pocket at the same time.

"Miss Harris gave us these today," Grace said, waving the letter in her mother's direction. "Our whole class have been invited for a weekend away snowboarding and skiing."

"Oh wow, Grace, that's great." Cassie was pleased for her, but Grace's new obsession with risk-taking hobbies ever since she had become friends with Courtney made her feel a little nervous.

"It's in two weeks' time," Grace reached for another cookie. "I just need you to sign my permission slip."

Cassie wiped her hands on a dishtowel and took the letter from Grace. She read it through, took a pen from one of the kitchen drawers and signed her name at the bottom.

"We'll go shopping at the weekend; pick you out some new winter clothes."

"Thanks mom," Grace leaned up and pressed a quick kiss into Cassie's cheek.

Clutching the other half of her second cookie in her hand, Grace turned away to head upstairs to her bedroom.

"Grace," Cassie called after her. "Is Nick going on the trip as well?"

"Yeah, as long as his dad agrees."

Cassie smiled as she turned back to the vegetable preparations. She would miss her daughter – they hardly spent any time apart especially since Jake had died, but the idea of having a weekend alone with Sam was certainly appealing.

"Hello Sam," Cassie said a while later, sitting in the living room with a cup of tea by her side.

"One day…" Sam began, but there were some mysteries about Cassie that he was sure he'd never understand.

"Did Nick give you the letter about the field trip?" Cassie asked, moving aside on the couch so that Sam could squeeze in next to her.

"A whole weekend without our kids, what on earth will we find to do with ourselves?"

Cassie laughed, leaning her head on Sam's shoulder. They had been dating for a while now, but between their teenage kids, Abigail and the guests at Grey House, it was hard for them to ever really have any time alone together.

"I'm sure we'll find some way of occupying ourselves."

Sam's hand cupped her face and he gently ran his thumb of her bottom lip before moving in to kiss her. Cassie let herself give in to the kiss, wrapping her arms around Sam to pull him closer. She was so lost in the moment, that she didn't notice her cousin enter the room until Abigail let out a quiet cough.

"Sorry to interrupt," Abigail began, trying not to grin at the sight before her. "I just thought I'd let you know that I'm going on the field trip with the kids."

"Really, why?" Cassie asked. As far as she was aware, Abigail wasn't the biggest fan of children or teenagers.

"A free weekend away just to keep an eye on a few teenage girls – who was going to turn that down?"

Cassie smiled, that sounded more like the Abigail she knew and loved.

"I'll leave you two in peace now," Abigail smirked and slipped back out of the room.

"We really will have the weekend all to ourselves." Sam commented once Abigail had gone. "I can hardly wait."

Cassie echoed this sentiment by pressing her lips to his again.

Just over two weeks later, Cassie, Sam and the two kids had breakfast together at Grey House before Grace and Nick left for their weekend away. Their bags and gear were in the hallway, and they were both too excited to each much breakfast. Abigail joined them a little later, dressed in jeans and an oversized sweater.

"Where's your skiing things Abigail?" Grace asked between mouthfuls of oatmeal.

"You don't think I'm actually going to be joining in any of these activities, do you?" Abigail laughed. "No, I'm perfectly happy to watch. I've got my iPad and a stack of books."

They laughed and finished breakfast together. It was soon time for the three of them to leave, and Sam was needed at his office. She walked him to the door while Grace and Nick collected their bags and Abigail put her boots on.

"I'll see you back here later, about six o'clock." Sam said, taking both of Cassie's hands in his.

"Looking forward to it." She leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips before going inside of say goodbye to her daughter.

Cassie was distracted at the shop, which was unusual for her. She was preoccupied by worrying about Grace and also looking forward to spending some quality time alone with Sam. Tara noticed that Cassie didn't seem like herself and offered to close up for her. Cassie was grateful, picking up a few different bottles of essential oils and an extra canister of Sam's favourite tea-that-tastes-like-coffee.

"Have a lovely weekend, Cassie." Tara said as Cassie put her coat on and prepared to leave the Bell, Book and Candle.

"Thanks Tara, you too."

Cassie decided to walk home along the cold, frosty Middleton streets. It gave her some time to centre her thoughts and prepare for the evening ahead. She had already prepped the dinner as much as possible; she didn't want to waste precious time with Sam by being in the kitchen.

She stopped off at the bistro to pick up a bottle of wine and some of Sam's favourite cakes. Stephanie had it all ready for her in a to-go bag.

"Such service," Cassie smiled as she handed over a twenty dollar bill.

"It's on me," Stephanie replied, holding up her hands. "You go on and have a lovely night with Sam. You're always doing things for other people, it's time you had a night to yourselves."

"Thank you, Stephanie." Cassie replied warmly.

"Now get on out of here before Martha comes in, or you won't be home before Grace gets back from her trip!"

Cassie picked up her bag, wished Stephanie a good weekend and headed back into the cold.

"How many more appointments have I got this afternoon, Eve?" Sam asked his receptionist between patients.

He loved his job; loved being a doctor and being a part of the community but the day was dragging. He just wanted to go home to Cassie and get their weekend started.

"Old Mrs Robbins is in at four o'clock, and then you've got twenty minutes. Dana Harford is in after that. Your last appointment is at five fifteen."

"Thanks, Eve. Let me know if anyone gets here early, I'd like to be out of here as soon as possible today."

"Yes, boss." Eve replied. "Have you got something planned?"

Sam smiled. "I'm spending the whole weekend with Cassie."

"Oh, of course, Nick and Grace are away on that trip…I can call and cancel your last appointments if you want?"

Sam's smile grew to a grin at this. "As great as that would be, I don't want the whole town knowing I ducked out of my job early to go and spend it with my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend?" Eve smiled. "Cassie's your girlfriend."

"Yes," Sam realised he'd never referred to her as such, and definitely not out loud. "I guess she is."

Finally Sam waved off his last patient of the day and took off his white doctor's coat. He dismissed Eve for the weekend and locked up the offices. It took a while for the car windshield to defrost and he turned the heat on high as he drove back home. It was strange to see the house in darkness; normally Nick would be there doing his homework or watching TV with Courtney when he got home from work. In contrast, Grey House looked warm and welcoming. He knew Cassie would be in the kitchen, cooking something that looked amazing. They would eat together, share a bottle of wine and then later… Well, perhaps it was best not to think of that just yet.

Wishing he had stopped for a bouquet of flowers, and then remembering that the flower market was closed because Abigail was away too, Sam made his way into Grey House.

"Hey Sam," Cassie greeted, her face flushed from the steam of the curry she was cooking.

He stopped in the kitchen doorway, unable to say anything. She was dressed in fitted navy blue jeans and a v-necked black sweater, but she had never looked more breathtaking to him.

"Everything alright?" She asked, stirring the sauce and lowering the heat underneath.

"Yes, it's great." His voice was a little rough and Cassie noticed.

She stepped away from the stove and crossed the room to him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips to his. He pulled her closed to him, their bodies pressed together as the kiss deepened.

"Sam," She broke away reluctantly. "I'm going to burn our dinner if we don't stop."

Sam took a deep, steadying breath. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Sure, you can set the table and open the wine, if you like."

Glad to have something to do that took his mind off the way that Cassie felt in his arms, Sam set about laying out cutlery and pouring the deep burgundy wine into two glasses. They had the whole weekend together, there was no sense in rushing anything.

They ate dinner together, followed by a large slice of cake washed down with the rest of the red wine. They washed up together in the kitchen, just like an ordinary couple. It was nice to just do normal tasks together without being interrupted by one of their kids, Abigail or a needy guest.

Cassie found another bottle of wine in the cupboard; not as good as the one Stephanie had given her but drinkable or the same. They took the bottle and two glasses into the living room and curled up on a couch together. They sipped the wine and exchanged slow easy kisses, until Cassie climbed into Sam's lap. The kisses got deeper; sloppier; messier and more frenzied. Sam's hands rested on her sides, but began to slip up under the material of her sweater to dance over her soft flesh. Cassie shivered and it was nothing to do with the coolness of Sam's hands.

She climbed up out of his lap and held out her hand to him. He let her lead him up the stairs to her bedroom, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. And when they laid down on the bed together, he realised it; he loved her.

A while later, Cassie padded downstairs wearing nothing but Sam's shirt. It was too big in the shoulders and it barely grazed her thighs, but it felt good and smelled of him. She poured herself a glass of water while she waited for the kettle to boil. She'd make them to some tea, take it back upstairs and they could drink it snuggled up together in her bed. The thought gave her another little thrill.

As the kettle whistled, Cassie was suddenly aware of another presence in the house. She hadn't noticed it before but then she had been so preoccupied with Sam that she might not have noticed if the house had burned down around them.

She went through to the living room, the bottle of wine and two half-filled glasses still sitting on the coffee table.

"Lori, honey, what are you doing here?"


	2. Part 2

The Weekend

 _Thank you for the reviews/favs on the first chapter. I haven't written for Good Witch before so I'm still getting used to writing these characters! This story is sort of set during season 2, Liam and Noah haven't moved to Middleton yet but Nick and Courtney are together. As for George, I'm not sure where he is! I thought I was so clever getting rid of Abigail so that Sam and Cassie could have their weekend together, but I forgot all about George (which sucks because he's one of my favourites!). Hope you enjoy the next part :) x_

Part 2.

Cassie's stepdaughter was curled up in one of the easy chair, her face pale and her eyes red from crying. She looked much younger – like the little girl who had been scared of monsters when Cassie had first met her.

"I'm sorry that I just turned up," Lori said, wiping her eyes with a balled up tissue. "I should have called you first, but I didn't know where else to go."

Cassie opened her mouth to reassure Lori that it was okay; that she was always welcome at Grey House no matter what but she was interrupted.

"Hey Cassie, can you make me some of that tea-that-tastes-like-coff…"

Sam had entered the living room, dressed in his boxer shorts and undershirt. Unlike Cassie, he had assumed that it was still just the two of them at the house.

"Oh, Lori, hi."

Lori looked over at Sam and back at Cassie, realisation dawning on her. She rushed to her feet, nearly knocking the chair over in her hurry.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry."

"Sam, please can you go and make us all some tea," Cassie said calmly, and he quickly and quietly left the room.

"Oh Cassie, I'm sorry. I didn't think…I didn't realise."

Cassie shook her head. "It's not your fault, please don't apologise. I should have told you that things had moved along between Sam and I. I hope it doesn't upset you too much."

"No, it's… I like Sam. He's a good guy and he cares about you, but…"

"It's weird seeing me with someone other than your dad?"

Lori nodded, feeling the tears welling up again and not trusting her voice.

"It doesn't change anything. I'll always love your dad, until the day I die. But I think he'd want me to be happy; I think he'd approve of a man like Sam."

Lori nodded again. "He would." She stepped closer to Cassie and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm so sorry for ruining your night."

"It's okay. You caught us on the weekend that both our kids and Abigail are away."

"It did seem awfully quiet."

Sam came back in with three cups of tea on a tray and set it down on the table. He picked up his own cup.

"I'm going back upstairs, let me know if you need me."

"Thanks," Cassie smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Now," Cassie said, once they were alone. "You're going to tell me all about what brought you're here tonight, Lori."

Just over an hour later, Lori was tucked up in bed in her old room and Cassie went back to her bedroom. She thought Sam might be asleep, it was after midnight now and he had had a long day at the office. It was nice to come upstairs and find him in her bed. It had been a long time since she had shared it with another man and there had been times when she wondered whether she would ever have another lover. Jake had been her whole world and she had never known love could be like that until she had met him. Losing him had been incomprehensible, especially with Grace being so young. Sam reminded her of Jake in some ways, they were both strong, loyal men and loving fathers but they had their differences too.

"Oh, you are still awake." Cassie whispered as she pulled back the bed covers and slid under the sheet.

"Is Lori okay?" Sam asked, rolling over towards her and pulling her into his arms.

"She will be," Cassie replied, resting her head on his chest so she could hear his heartbeat, sure and strong. "Boy trouble." She said simply, suddenly too tired to talk about and she wanted to respect her stepdaughter's privacy too.

"Men," Sam said, rolling his eyes.

"I said it was okay for her to stay this weekend, I hope that's alright?"

"Of course," Sam was disappointed, it was so rare that they ever got a chance to be together without being interrupted, but he knew that Cassie needed to be there for Lori.

"I'm not kicking you out though, Sam, I want you to say too."

"Are you sure? It can't have been easy for Lori; seeing you with someone that wasn't her dad?"

"No, but she likes you and I plan on you being in my life for a long time so she'll have to start getting used to you being around."

"Oh really," Sam replied, pulling her closer to him and pressing a kiss onto the top of her head.

They drifted off to sleep like that, wrapped up in each other's arms underneath the sheets.

Cassie slipped out of bed and left Sam sleeping the next morning. It was hard to leave him; he looked so peaceful and so adorable tucked up in her bed. Him being there just looked and felt so right. She couldn't find her feelings for him anymore; there was no denying it – she was in love with him. She took off Sam's shirt and dressed in her nightgown and robe.

The house was quiet as she started cooking breakfast and setting the kettle to boil. Lori appeared as she was stirring the oatmeal and began to set the table without being asked; settling back into an old routine.

"It seems strange without Grace here," Lori commented as she tore off paper napkins and set them beside the three place settings.

"I know, we hardly ever spend any time apart. I miss her." Cassie sighed.

"I'm sure she's having a great time though.

"Oh, she is. My phone was bursting with pictures this morning." She smiled. "She'll be sad to know she missed a visit from you."

Lori bit her bottom lip. "I'm thinking about moving back to Middleton again, L.A. just doesn't really suit me. I know I keep chopping and changing, but my heart has always been in Middleton."

"Well, if that's what you decide is best for you, then we'd be more than happy to have you back."

Lori smiled, feeling better for talking to Cassie the same way she had since she was a little girl.

"I'm going to see Brandon and Tara later, I'm going to ask if I can stay with them tonight. It's not fair for me to gatecrash the one weekend that you and Sam finally have alone together."

"It's okay Lori, this is your home too and I'd hate to think that you felt you weren't welcome here. Sam and I can always go to his place, then I'll only be next door if you need me."

"Something smells good," Sam said, walking into the kitchen. Lori noticed how at home he seemed at Grey House. It was certainly strange seeing Cassie so intimate with another man, but she knew it was time. Cassie deserved to be happy more than anyone she knew.

"Morning Sam," Cassie smiled, and Lori could see the joy in her shining eyes.

The three of them ate a companionable breakfast together, talking about stories Lori had worked on but carefully avoiding anything that related to her broken heart and bruised pride.

When the breakfast things were washed and tidied away, Lori excused herself to go and see her brother and his wife.

"You're amazing, you know," Sam said, taking Cassie into his arms.

"I'm still in my nightdress!" Cassie protested, but she didn't stop him when he lowered his head to kiss her lips.

"But you're still beautiful," He said, when they broke apart for air.

"Sam…"

"Cassie, I love you."


	3. Part 3

The Weekend

Part 3

Lori walked to Brandon and Tara's place - enjoying the crisp morning and soaking up the Middleton atmosphere again. When she had left L.A. it was barely cold enough for gloves, but here the snow was still piled up on the sidewalks. She walked up to Brandon and Tara's building and stamped snow from her boots. She waited patiently for the door to open and was almost swept off her feet by Brandon.

"Lori! What a surprise! I didn't know you were coming for a visit."

"Surprise," She replied weakly, and then broke down in tears, shocking them both.

"Tara, Lori's here! Put some coffee on!" Brandon shouted, leading his sister inside and shutting out the cold winter morning.

Tara had just finished getting dressed and was putting her hair up in a ponytail. She looked as surprised as her husband when Brandon led Tara into their kitchen.

"Lori, it's great to see you, but were we expecting you?"

She handed her sister-in-law a box of tissues and waited for Lori to stop crying before she fired any more questions at her.

Brandon and Tara had a silent conversation made up entirely of facial expressions over the top of Lori's head while they waited for the coffee to brew and for Lori to get herself together.

 _I love you._ The words echoed between Cassie and Sam in the big, empty kitchen at Grey House. _I love you._ No one had said that to her in a very long time; not in the way Sam was saying it. Grace told her she loved her all the time; Abigail too and her step-children but no one had said I love you like that since Jake. So many emotions bubbled to the surface at once that Cassie froze; Cassie Nightingale who always knew exactly the right thing to say; the right thing to suggest was suddenly incapable of saying a word.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same," Sam continued, while Cassie stood staring at him. "I just wanted you to know and I hope it doesn't change anything between us."

"Sam…"

"It's okay, just pretend I never said anything and we'll just focus on enjoying our weekend…unless I've gone and ruined it now."

"Sam," She said, a little firmer now. She remembered how she had felt last night when she and Sam had gone to bed together; the reverent way that he had held her and how gentle and passionate he had been. She had never thought or expected to fall in love again after Jake, but it was different with Sam but no less potent. "Sam, I love you, too."

His face broke into a grin. "You do? You're not just saying it because you feel bad for me because I just mad an ass of myself?"

Cassie laughed. "I love you all the more for that."

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his face down to hers. They kissed, gently at first but increasing in passion.

They had planned on going out for a walk, before going to the bistro for a late lunch but before either of them knew what was happening they were making their way back upstairs to Cassie's bedroom again.

Brandon, feeling a little out of place in his own home while Tara and Lori chatted, decided to go for a walk. The two women sat on opposite ends of the couch, a mug of coffee each.

"Have you talked to Cassie about what happened?" Tara asked.

Lori swallowed her sip of coffee and nodded. "It was a little awkward though, I didn't know she had Sam staying over at Grey House."

Tara raised her eyebrows. "Well, Grace and Nick are away for the weekend so it makes sense."

"I didn't know that until I almost walked in on them," Lori blushed. "So awkward. I should have called first but I was so upset over what happened with Darren that I just climbed in my car and drove straight to Middleton."

"Has he tried to call you since?"

"I turned my phone off." Lori admitted. "I don't know what he thinks he can say that will make it better.

"Is there any chance that you maybe got the wrong end of the stick?"

Lori shook her head. "What is there to misinterpret about coming home and finding your boyfriend in bed with another woman?"

"Fair enough. You're better off without him. What about your job though?"

"I'm going to call in sick on Monday and start looking for something else. I'm thinking about moving back to Middleton again, permanently this time."

"It'll be good to have you back." Lori and Tara toasted this by clinking their coffee mugs together and Lori smiled genuinely for the first time since she'd been back in Middleton.

"Wow," Sam sighed, rolling onto his back and trying to catch his breath. "We're getting pretty good at that."

Cassie led on her back, pulling the bed cover backs up over her and smiled like a cat with a lifetime's supply of cream.

"Doesn't mean we shouldn't keep practicing, though."

Sam laughed. "You'll have to give me a little, I'm not as young as I used to be."

"You're as young as you feel, Sam."

"Well, right now I feel pretty good."

"It's been a long time since I've laid in bed in the middle of the day." Cassie said, moving over to rest her head on Sam's shoulder.

"Me too. It's been years."

"How are we going to work this out when Grace and Nick get home?" She pondered. "They're at an impressionable age. Their friends will start having sex soon, if they haven't already. We can hardly forbid them from it, if we're doing it ourselves."

"I think Nick and Courtney might have already experimented…"

"Grace hasn't had her first kiss yet. I thought she and Anthony mind end up becoming more than friends, but then he moved away."

"I guess we'll just take it one step at a time. Maybe have a few weekends away at the lake house, just the two of us. I'm sure Abigail or George would be happy to keep an eye on the kids."

"Sounds perfect. It was where we had our first proper kiss after all." Grudgingly, Cassie sat up in bed. "Now we'd better get to the bistro for lunch, or we'll be the talk of this town."

"Cassie, we already are."

 _Thanks again for the reviews/favs. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too :)_


	4. Part 4

The Weekend

 _Sorry for the delay in updating - I've been watching some of the Good Witch movies and it's hard to write Cassie/Sam when you've just watched Cassie and Jake get married! Thanks again for the reviews, I hope you like this chapter._

Part 4

When Cassie and Sam arrived at the bistro, Brandon and Tara were already occupying one of the larger tables. Brandon waved his stepmother over and, after greeting Stephanie, Cassie and Sam joined him and Tara.

"Where's Lori?" Cassie asked, unwinding her scarf from her neck as she sat down.

"She ran into an old friend from high school; she'll be along in a minute." Brandon replied.

"Was she okay when she was with you?"

"She was quite upset," Tara replied. "But once she'd had a good cry, I think she felt better. She's awfully embarrassed that she interrupted your weekend together though."

Brandon suddenly found his iPhone very interesting during this part of the conversation. It wasn't that he didn't want Cassie to be with Sam; but at the end of the day she was his stepmom and there were certain things about her life, particularly her love life that he really didn't need to think about.

"She can stay with us tonight, if you like?" Tara continued.

"That would be nice," Cassie considered. "But I don't want her to feel like she's not welcome at Grey House; it's her home, too."

"I'll suggest it like a girly night in," Tara replied. "Brandon is on duty tonight anyway."

"That settles it," Cassie smiled, relieved that this plan seemed to work out for everybody. Normally it would be her smoothing things out for everybody else, but she just seemed to be too close this. Maybe her feelings for Sam were clouding her abilities.

"That settles what?" Lori asked, appearing at the table and choosing the empty seat opposite her stepmother.

"Lori, how would you feel about coming over tonight? Brandon's working tonight so we can order a pizza, watch a crappy movie and paint each other's nails or something?"

"That sounds great," Lori replied eagerly.

With that settled, they ordered their food and ate together companionably as a happy, extended family.

* * *

"Do you trust me?" Sam asked later that afternoon. After indulging in far too much of Stephanie's wonderful lunchtime special at the bistro, they had decided to take a walk around Middleton. It was still freezing cold, but they were wrapped up warm against the chilled wind.

"Of course I do, what kind of a question is that?" Cassie laughed.

"Ah yes, but do you trust me to cook for you tonight?"

Cassie had a flashback to when he had attempt to cook before and felt slightly uneasy. As nice as it was that a man wanted to cook for her, she'd rather just do it herself or order a takeout.

"Maybe we could cook together?" She suggested diplomatically.

"That could be fun," Sam replied. "But you're always doing things for other people, I wanted to do something special for you."

"This weekend has been so special so far Sam; I couldn't have asked for a better one."

"Me neither," Sam linked his gloved hand with Cassie's. "Well, maybe without your stepdaughter walking in on us in our underwear!"

Cassie laughed. "Yes, that wasn't exactly part of the plan." She squeezed Sam's hand. "It's nice that she's thinking of coming back to Middleton again, I've missed her."

Sam released Cassie's hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder instead, pulling her closer.

"I love you, Cassie." It was still so new; the feelings and saying them out loud but it felt so right, too.

"I love you, too." She smiled up at him and, for the first time since Jake had died, she felt really, truly happy with her life.

* * *

Abigail Pershing was bored. It was only Saturday afternoon, but it felt like she had been away from Middleton for far long than that. She had thought, seeing as she was doing her cousin and Sam a favour by staying out of town for the weekend, that she would at least enjoy herself a little bit. Teenagers were definitely not as interesting as they had been when she was one. She already knew that Grace was a good girl of course, but she had expected as least some of the students on the trip to be at least a little bit rebellious. Even Nick, who had been a bit difficult and liked to act out when he first arrived in Middleton, had now mellowed. Abigail thought this was probably something to do with Grace, and by extension Cassie.

She was starting to miss the flower shop. Saturday afternoons were usually quite busy and had been so successful recently that she was thinking about taking on some extra help at the weekends. With a sigh, Abigail reached for her latte and took a sip, looking out over the snowy landscape. It was warm inside the hilltop cafe but Abigail shivered looking out at the expanse of snow.

"I think you've got the better idea," A male voice said from behind her. "Staying in here with a hot cup of coffee."

Abigail turned around to see a tall, fair-haired man holding a tray with a cappuccino on it.

At that moment, a snowsuit-clad teenager went speeding down the hillside making Abigail wince and grip tighter to her coffee cup.

"I think so, too," She agreed, giving the stranger another closer look. The cafe was quite busy, mostly filled with parents who were waiting for the children to finish skiing or snowboarding lessons. "You can join me if you like."

The man smiled, taking the vacant chair opposite Abigail.

"I'm Harry, by the way." He offered Abigail his hand.

"Abigail," She replied, impressed with his warm, firm handshake. "What brings you out here to the snowy middle of nowhere?"

"I'm supervising some students on a school trip," He replied.

"Me too," Abigail smiled. "But I discovered I'm not really a snow person."

Harry smiled, too. "After the third time I fell over in five minutes, I decided it wasn't for me either."

Abigail was starting to change her mind; maybe this trip wouldn't be quite so boring after all.

* * *

Sam and Cassie went to the market together, to pick up ingredients for dinner and another bottle of wine.

"If I'm cooking," Sam said, while Cassie examined the fresh produce. "I think that means you're on clean up duty."

"If you're cooking?" Cassie teased, knowing that it wouldn't be long before she ended up taking over from him.

"Yes," Sam replied, proudly.

They continued their shopping, stopping every now and then for Cassie to exclaim over something or pick up a herb she was getting short of. They were so caught up in each other that they didn't notice what a domestic picture they painted; talking, laughing and occasionally holding hands as they walked up and down the aisles. Neither of them mentioned it, but they both realised that they would happy doing this every Saturday afternoon for the rest of their lives.


	5. Part 5

The smell emanating from the kitchen in Sam's house was pretty delicious. Cassie had taken over most of the cooking duties, as she had expected (and secretly hoped) would happen. Sam was in charge of boiling the pasta water and setting their places at the table. He realised too late that he had meant to ask Cassie for some candles from her shop to set the mood. Of course, Cassie being Cassie had already thought of this and two slim candles were currently hidden away in her purse.

Cassie added a sprinkle of several different herbs she had found in Sam's kitchen cupboards; herbs he was pretty sure he had never bought for himself. Where Cassie was concerned, he had learned there were some things it was better not to question.

The water in the saucepan was still determined not to boil, despite the burner being on full blast beneath it. Sam took this as an opportunity to close the distance between himself and Cassie at the stove. He stood behind her, his hands resting gently on her hips. He leaned forward a little, breathing in the scent of her dark hair. He was beginning to realise that if he didn't breakaway from her soon, their dinner would be the last thing on his mind.

"Sam!" Cassie protested, but she was laughing when she turned her head to capture his lips with hers.

He slid his hand into her hair, cupping the back of her neck as he deepened the kiss.

"Sam..." Cassie breathed as they broke apart a little unsteadily. "Water is boiling."

Muttering under his breath, Sam went back to his original position and added the salt and pasta to the pan. Cassie was smirking to herself as she turned her attention back to the sauce.

* * *

After her coffee date with Harry, Abigail was feeling better about the whole trip. They had made plans to meet up again the next day and Abigail had found out that the school where Harry worked wasn't all that far from Middleton. She was feeling quite pleased with herself as she headed back to the chalet where she was supervising a group of teenage girls, including Grace.

Grace looked radiant after a day of skiing on the slopes with her friends. At least Abigail assumed that was why she looked so happy, but her Merriwick intuition told her differently. Maybe this trip wasn't going to end up being boring at all.

* * *

Lori and Tara sat up talking for hours while Brandon was at work. They had a lot of catching up to do, and Lori was interested in how Tara was adjusting to life in Middleton and working for Cassie rather than pursuing her PhD. Lori knew that she would be limiting her career options by choosing to come back home to live, but she couldn't deny that it felt right. She hadn't been Cassie's stepdaughter for this long without being able to trust her own initiative. It was a shame that initiative had been lacking where her ex boyfriend had been concerned. Would she have stayed away on assignment in L.A. for so long if she hadn't been in a relationship with him? It did her no good to wonder about these things now. She trusted that she had been brought back to Middleton for a reason, and time would tell what that reason was. For now, it was enough to catch up with her family and friends.

When Brandon came home from his shift he found his wife and sister asleep on the living room couch. Smiling fondly at both of them, he took the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over the two women. Pressing a kiss to Tara's cheek, he went through to his bedroom and left the women sleeping.

* * *

Later that evening they led cuddled up in bed together, the room bathed in the warn and fragrant glow of Cassie's candles.

"I'm really going to miss sharing a bed with you once the kids come back." Sam said, absentmindedly stroking Cassie's silky hair. It was only their second night together but it already felt normal and natural.

"Me too," Cassie replied. "I don't think we're ready to live together yet though, and I definitely don't think Grace or Nick are."

"You're right," Sam sighed, unable to come up with a scenario that would suit everybody. He was determined not to let it get them down or spoil what was left of their weekend together, though.

"Have you heard from Grace?" He asked.

"Yes, she's having a wonderful time. I'm trying not to think about all the terrifying things she told me she's done already."

"Nick texted me this afternoon, sounds like he's having fun," He paused. "I just can't picture Abigail on skis though."

Cassie laughed as she tried to conjure up the mental picture.

"If I know my cousin, I doubt she's set foot outside for more than ten minutes."

Sam frowned. "What did she agree to go then?" Cassie smiled at him, one eyebrow arching up. "Ohh..." It dawned on him. "I'm leaving her the biggest tip next time I'm in the flower shop. Who knew she was such a romantic?"

"She likes to keep it a secret, I wouldn't mention it."

"My lips are sealed."

He leaned down to kiss her lips instead. Cassie sighed and let the feeling of his kiss and his body pressed to her's carry her away.

* * *

They were both dozing when the front door of Sam's house burst open as if a storm had blown through sleepy, snow covered Middleton.

"Sam!" A woman's shrill voice broke through the haze and Cassie vaguely wondered what the chances of having both of their nights together interrupted by unexpected visitors. At least she had been happy to see Lori.

"Linda?" Sam said groggily, seconds before the bedroom door was opened. He was suddenly overwhelmingly regretting letting his ex wife have a key.

"Sam! What are you doing in bed at 8pm on a Saturday?" It was then that she was that Sam wasn't alone. "Cassie."

"Linda." She replied as casually as she could.

"What are you doing?" Sam demanded, sitting up in bed and glaring at his ex.

"Haven't you heard?" Linda's voice was close to cracking. "It's Nick. He's been in a terrible accident!"

* * *

 _I had been thinking about wrapping this story up, but I got some inspiration to continue. Hope you enjoyed :)_


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